Artificial leg



K. MAREAN ARTIFICIAL LEG Dec. 28, V1948.

Fileduaroh 25', 194e OOO N A TM MN Vm 'NAD N M 5 O K Armen/5y Patented Dec. 28, 1948 UNITED# S'FLFES 1 PATE ufr or Preis;

3 claims. 1

This invention relatesstofantarticiaLleg; and

the; main obj ectof .ther invention,- iste-.providefan artificial. leg:v which functions:in,substantially.l the same. manner as at natural tlegi; thereby Ieiantbl-ing thelwearer thereof tofw-alk..or to-be seated in lav naituralmannen A. further obj ecty of: the; invention?- isi to pro-:- vide anr articia1,leg.inwhich adjacent sections thereof, are conneetedbyfreely. moving-s pivoted joints.. andrareyieldablx retainedintheir normal vrelativepositions.rv

Afjrther. object of. the invention ,is-.to provide an i artificial legin which. the yieldable. resistance tothe. relative movement of, the adjaoenttsec tionsisadjustable.

A'Iurther object. of;the.invent`ioniisto,provide anartizial' legV` inwhich the pivoted connections ,between adjacent sectionsandthe .parts Acooperating; therewith are arranged inthe.. interior oitheleg;

A' further object of the. inventionistoprovide an artificial -leg Hwhich will not' interfere with the exing'of" thetorso of the person wearing` the same;

Other" objects of" the invention may, appear as the-leg is described 4in detail;

In the accompanying drawings Fig; 1 is aver,- ticai 'section` taken centrally through',1 an arti# iicial legr embodying" the: inventionj Fig; Z' is a section` takenon the'line2'2` of. Fig; 1*, ,Fig3 'is ar detail view of' a' portion oft-he adjusting4 de;- vi'ce; andiFig: 4- isa detail'view of` the,connec tion between the leg, and the body ofthewearer.

In these drawingsl'have:illustrated-'one em!r bodimentf of mv-invention;- but it istoi beunderrstood that the leg as a whole, as well as the varibusspartis thereoi may-take-variouslforms'without:` dspartingv from'A theL spirit of'f the*` invention:

In the.K illustrated j form* the artificial' legjcnmifourfsections;` an upper legi section' 5*; a lowenlegfsectlon 6'; a= foot section. 'I' anda' tbe sectiorr- 85 The. severalJ parts-` connected one toethe other by; freely moving: joints simulating the knee, then ank-le and' theftoes of"A a' person'. Adjacent?y sections are'lyieldably. retained i in their nor-malpositions1- in such4 a manner' that they may bef movedto'- substantially all? positions' to which a natural i leg `may bemovecl andiwhenune restrained-i will? return to their-normarv positions'.

'Die upper` lgfsection l 5 is" adapted to`beg con'- nectei directlyffto the-body ofthe wearer; andffit lswprovidedf in` its :upper' portlorr with" a soclfietL 9 adapted; to:y receive tliestump of an upper leg remaining. after.l am amputation: This upperleg section is provided in its lowerM endwitha cavity III, amiwthe lower: leg section6 is providedlin': its upperfendewitrra.5 cavity I1 arrangedfln opposed relation ttm the: cavity IUJ. Preferably., the upper endlof `thef.1mrer.=-1egsectionextends intothe cav'- itm III: intheupper legv section, the aadjacentsurfaces:-l ofi the: overlapping-portions of the two leg sections@ beingscurvedlas` shown.z at I2l to permit theffree. movementf of fthe :twoi sections with trelationione to the athen".

The uppervandflower leglsections are connected onetopthe: other by,1 an antiffriction bearings. rotatable. about-l.. asubstantially horizontall axis transversev to .theleg,.l In thexformherefshown the;bearingcomrxrisesfan` outer ball :race I 3 which extendsdntthe recess I finzthe upper; leg'secition and is frigidlyysecured :to that section The connection maybe-of any suitable character.` As here shownta part,- such'asa-strap 1I 4` of I U'shaped form, starranged.v on opposed sides of. the bear ing and.. isrigidly. secured tothel outer race-r I3. The ,looped upper. endV I 5fof thestrap has at'contact withthe, upper. I wall ofi the *recesso I Il and is yapertured tdreceive a bolt. IIS4 which, extends through thzittpoortion of, the` upperleg section whiehisfy between l the ,recess` I 0 t and *thev socket 9-. Aknut ILonthe upperrend-oi-the bolt-rigidly secures. ,the ,latter to :the leg section, ,which is fpreferably: provided. with arecessr I8 toreceive: the nut. .and Lthe. upper. end Yof the,y bolt and thus avoid any nroieotioniin the socltetfil.v The inner; ball race. I9. is. securedtoa shortrshaftl whichfis mounted". in, `a.. Ll-shaped bracket 2| mounted in thegrecess.. I1, resting. ont the bottom of that re- Cessandmgidly securedl tofthe lower leg section by a .bolt 22A extendingA through .that part of the lower` leg,section.which; lies between thefrecess ,II' and'` a cavity, 23 int anintermediate portion offthatllegfection.. A`r series. of .balls 2-6 are are rangedlbetween `the two ball racesy so Y asto permit the freec relative. movementl off the two legsec,- tiOnS; I e Y* The., upper and lower leg; sections are-,yieldably retained. in .thein normal relative positions, that is` inzsubstantialialinementone with theother, by suitable springt means. In.` the; arrangement shown .a coilspring ,25,.issecured vto lthe upper leg secti'omwithin theyrecess, I0, andisconnected at itszlower endv withthelower, leg, section.v This springgis: of suoli tensionthatitwill permit the relative movement. of, the.y lei;4 sections on the bearing andfwilllreturn Atheleg sections `to their nonna1'positions,when themovingforce has been relieved.\ ItL-willjbe notedlthatthe adjacent portionsL ofthe unpen andi lower, sections; .in A the rear of tli'elegarecut Laway as; Shown/ata to permit the flexing of the knee and that the forward portions of the leg sections directly in front of the bearing are arranged to contact one with the other, as shown at 21, when the two sections are in their normal positions, thus positively limiting the forward movement which can be imparted to either leg section with relation to the other.

It is desirable that the yieldable connection between the two leg sections should be adjustable in order that it may be accommodated to the needs or preferences of the wearer. In the arrangement here shown the lower end of the spring 25 is connected, by a flexible element 28, with a rotatable member 29 mounted in the cavity 23. This flexible element may be of any suitable character but is preferably in the form of a fiat strip of suitable material which is'substantially nonextensible, such as thin metal or a suitable fabric. It will be noted that that portion of the leg section between the recess I l and the cavity 23 is provided with an opening 30 through which the flexible element extends. The rotatable member 29 to which the strap or exible element 28 is connected is preferably in the nature of a shaft extending transversely to the leg and rotatable in bearings 30 and 3l carried by the side portions of the leg. Preferably these bearings are carried by plates 32 and 33 rigidly secured to and preferably countersunk into the respective side walls and rigidly secured thereto. That wall of the cavity '23 adjacent the plate 33 is cut away to provide a relatively large opening 34, and this opening is closed by the plate 33. Rigidly secured to the shaft 29 is a ratchet wheel 35 which is engaged by a pawl 36 slidably mounted in a U-shaped bracket 31 carried by the plate 33 and extending into the cavity 23. A spring 38 retains the pawl in yieldable engagement with the ratchet wheel. The outer end of the shaft is provided with means whereby it may be rotated, such as a slot 39 adapted to receive the bit of a screw driver or other implement. Connected with the pawl 36 is a finger 40 which extends laterally through a slot 4I in the plate 33, so that the pawl may be actuated from the exterior of the leg. Preferably, the outer end of the finger is provided with a button 42 by which it may be moved. When the yieldable resistance to the relative movement of the leg sections is to be adjusted, the pawl is disengaged from the ratchet Wheel and the tension of the spring will cause the strap 28, which is wound on the shaft, to rotate the shaft and the ratchet wheel and thus relieve the tension of the spring. The pawl is then released and permitted to again engage the ratchet wheel, and the shaft is rotated in a direction to wind the strap onto the shaft, the pawl then riding over the ratchet teeth and automatically locking the shaft in its adjusted position when the desired tension has been imparted to the spring.

The lower end of the lower leg section I6 is provided with a recess 43, and the foot section 1 is provided with a recess 44 opposed to the recess 43, and a bearing 45 similar to the bearing in 1 the knee joint, is arranged in these recesses and connected with the respective sections by bolts 46 and 41, and yieldable means are provided to resist the relative movement of the foot and lower leg sections from their normal positions. This yieldable means is shown as a spring 48. The connections between the lower leg section and the foot section, to form the ankle joint, are substantially identical with the knee joint except that the spring 48 is arranged 4in the rear of the bearing and is not adjustable. Obviously means could be provided for regulating the tension of the spring, if desired.

It is also desirable that the toe section 8 should be yieldable to permit the movement of the foot section on the ball of the foot. As here shown the toe section is separate from the foot section and is connected thereto by a hinge 49 secured to the adjacent bottom portions of the foot section and the toe section. The end surfaces of the two sections diverge upwardly, as shown at 50, and a coil spring 5I is interposed between the two sections within the recess formed between the same. Thus a forward tilting of the foot section on the ball of the foot, 52, and with relation to the toe section is permitted. Preferably, the upper end of the space between the toe section Iand the foot section is closed by a flexible covermovements of those sections.

The leg is connected with the body of the wearer in such a manner that it may be manipulated by him and which will not interfere with the flexing of the torso either laterally or forwardly. For this purpose'a link 54 is pivotally secured to the upper end of the upper legfsection 5 at 55 and extends upwardly therefrom. In the present instance the upper portion of the link is bifurcated, and each arm 56 thereof is pivotally connected at its upper end to a flat loop or guide 51 adapted to receive a belt 58, by means of which the link, and therefore the leg, are secured to the body of the wearer. The pivotal connection 55 is on a transverse axis so that the body may be moved forwardly and rearwardly in relation to the leg, and the connections between the link and the belt are on a fore and aft axis to permit the lateral flexing of the body. I have shown a single link 54 for establishing such a connection, but it will be obvious that any suitable number of such connections may be provided.

The joints are preferably provided with a suitable covering 59 to close the spaces between the sections and prevent garments from entering the same. The covering may be of any suitable material, such as-an elastic fabric. If desired, such a covering may be applied to the leg as a whole.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the details thereof as various modifications may occur to -a person skilled in the art.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An artificial leg comprising upper and lower sections having in their adjacent ends opposed cavities, each cavity havingside walls, a front wall and an end wall, the side walls of the cavity in said lower section beingarranged between the side walls of the cavity in said upper section, the front walls of said cavities being of less length Ithan the respective side walls and being arranged to have abutting contact one with the other when said sections are in alinement, a bearing member within the cavity in said lower section and supported wholly on the end wall of the cavity in said lower section, a second bearing member mounted on the first mentioned bearing member for movement thereon about an axis transverse to said sections and secured to the end wall of the cavity in said upper section, and a spring connected with said sections to yieldably retain the same in alinement. l

2. An artificial leg comprising upper and lower section-s having in ,their adjacent; ends opposed cavities, each cavity having side walls, a front wall and an end wall, the side walls of the cavity in said lower section beingr arranged between the side walls of the cavity in said upper section, the front walls of said cavities being of less length than the respective side walls and being arranged to have abutting contact lone with the other when said sections are in alinement, a bearing member within the cavity in said lower section and supported wholly on the end wall of the cavity in said lower section, :a second bearing member mounted on the first mentioned bearing member for movement thereon about an axis transverse to said sections and secured to the end wall of the cavity in said upper section, said lower ysection having `a second cavity below the cavity in the upper end thereof, and the end wall of the upper cavity in said lower section having an opening connecting ythe two cavities, an expansion spring within said' upper cavity in said lower section and connected at its upper end with a iixed part of said upper section above the -axis -of Isaid bearing members, Ia member connected with the lower end of said spring and extending through said opening at the end wall of saidupper cavity, and means in said second cavity in said lower section for connecting said member with said lower section.

3. An artificial leg comprising upper and lower sections having in their adjacent ends opposed cavities, each cavity having lside walls, a front wall and :an end wall, the side walls of the cavity in said lower section being arranged between the mounted on the end wall of the cavity in said upper section, and spring means for yieldably retaining said lower section in alinement with said upper section,

KOSTANDEAN MAREAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 41,282 Daniels Jan. 19, 1864 1,215,268 Hagey Feb. 6, 1917 1,320,022 Michajlov Oct, 28, 1919 2,126,654 Morris Aug. 9, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Countryl Date 534,556 France Jan. 17, 1922 

